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The extra time spent at home during the pandemic may have been too much togetherness for some neighbors. Fifty-two percent of 1,000 Americans recently polled said they are annoyed by their neighbors multiple times a year; 35% are annoyed by their neighbors at least once a month. The younger generations—millennials and Generation Z—appear to be the most irked by the habits of their neighbors, according to a recent survey of homeowners and renters by insurancy company Lemonade.
Pets, music or television, and yard work are the most common noise complaints, the survey shows. Gen Z—the youngest generation in the housing market in their 20s—said that screaming or crying children is one of the most common reasons their neighbors are noisy. Baby boomers cited barking pets along with crying children as their biggest complaints.
Respondents said noisy neighbors made them feel “annoyed” or “irritated.”
Many respondents said they would be willing to move to avoid an annoying neighbor. Fifty-three percent of respondents say they’ve either considered moving or have moved because of a neighbor. Sixty-one percent of people who live in apartments are more likely to move because of their neighbors. Forty-one percent of respondents who lived in a single-family home would move because of a neighbor, the survey shows.
Some homeowners and renters document their neighbors’ offenses and turn logs over to the homeowners’ association or the property manager to file complaints. Others try the “courtesy knock” first to have a face-to-face conversation and, if the time is right, request moderating the noise.
Noisy neighbors appear to be the biggest problem in Texas, which has four of the loudest cities nationwide: Fort Worth, El Paso, Austin, and San Antonio, according to a separate survey conducted by HomeAdvisor. California follows, with San Francisco, San Jose, and San Diego hitting the list.